BATTERY CONTROL SYSTEM
A battery control system includes N batteries, N control switches, a solar energy charging module, and a processing module, wherein N is a positive integer larger than one. The N batteries are arranged in parallel, each of the control switches is connected to one of the batteries, and the solar energy charging module is connected to the control switches. The processing module is connected to the control switches and the solar energy charging module. The processing module selectively controls the i-th control switch to form a close circuit between the corresponding i-th battery and the solar energy charging module and controls the other N−1 control switches to form open circuits between the corresponding N−1 batteries and the solar energy charging module, wherein i is a positive integer smaller than or equal to N.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a battery control system and, more particularly, to a battery control system utilizing a solar energy charging module to charge one of a plurality of batteries.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, with the global warming effect, green technology becomes a broadly-discussed topic, and development of green energy and alternative energy such as solar power, wind power and so on arise accordingly. Since the solar power and its relative application are getting more and more popular, the advanced countries have invested the solar energy related industries. In such a manner, various kinds of solar energy related products, especially for electronic devices, rise in human life gradually.
Generally speaking, electronic devices such as cell phone, laptop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA) and so on are powered by batteries. With development of solar energy related industries, some electronic devices are equipped with solar energy charging module and a plurality of serial-arranged or parallel-arranged batteries. When the batteries are out of electricity, the solar energy charging module can charge the batteries. However, when the conventional solar energy charging module charges multiple batteries simultaneously, the solar energy charging module cannot provide with a sufficient current for the multiple batteries, such that the batteries with insufficient electricity cannot be fully charged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn objective of the invention is to provide a battery control system utilizing a solar energy charging module to charge one of a plurality of batteries.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a battery control system capable of automatically detecting electricity of each battery so as to charge the battery with insufficient electricity.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the battery control system comprises N batteries, N control switches, a solar energy charging module and a processing module, wherein N is a positive integer larger than one. The N batteries are arranged in parallel, each of the control switches is connected to one of the batteries respectively, and the solar energy charging module is connected to the control switches. The processing module is connected to the control switches and the solar energy charging module. The processing module selectively controls the i-th control switch to form a close circuit between the corresponding i-th battery and the solar energy charging module and controls the other N−1 control switches to form open circuits between the other corresponding N−1 batteries and the solar energy charging module, wherein i is a positive integer smaller than or equal to N.
In this embodiment, the processing module can comprise a voltage detecting unit connected to the control switches. When M batteries of the batteries are idle (e.g. neither in charged state nor in power supplying state), the processing module controls the corresponding M control switches to form close circuits between the M batteries and the voltage detecting unit, wherein M is a positive integer smaller than N.
In summary, according to the battery control system of the invention, each of the multiple batteries is connected to the solar energy charging module via one corresponding control switch respectively. Accordingly, the solar energy charging module can charge one of the multiple batteries by switching operations of the control switches. Furthermore, the voltage detecting unit of the processing module can automatically detect electricity of each of the batteries by switching operations of the control switches, so as to control the solar energy charging module to charge the battery with insufficient electricity.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
Referring to
Each of the control switches 12a-12c is connected to one of the batteries 10a-10c respectively, and the solar energy charging module 14 is connected to the control switches 12a-12c. The processing module 16 is connected to the control switches 12a-12c and the solar energy charging module 14, and the load 18 is connected to the control switches 12a-12c and the processing module 16. Furthermore, the processing module 16 further comprises a voltage detecting unit 160 connected to the control switches 12a-12c. As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
It should be noticed that if the battery control system 1 of the invention comprises more than three batteries, the processing module 16 controls each of the control switches to form a close circuit between the battery with minimum electricity and the solar energy charging module 14, to form a close circuit between the battery with maximum battery and the load 18, and to form close circuits between the other batteries and the voltage detecting unit 160 respectively.
In this embodiment, the voltage detecting unit 160 can be an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC), and the processing module 16 can be a processor with data processing and signal control functions. Furthermore, the solar energy charging module 18 can comprise a plurality of solar energy charging circuits (that is, the solar energy charging module 18 can consist of a plurality of solar energy panels) so as to speed up charging.
Referring to
Afterward, the processing module 16 judges which one of the batteries 10a, 10c has the largest electricity. For example, as shown in
Please refer to
Compared to the prior art, according to the battery control system of the invention, each of the multiple batteries is connected to the solar energy charging module via one corresponding control switch respectively. Accordingly, the solar energy charging module can charge one of the multiple batteries by switching operations of the control switches. Furthermore, the voltage detecting unit of the processing module automatically detects electricity of each of the batteries by switching operations of the control switches, so as to control the solar energy charging module to charge the battery with insufficient electricity. Moreover, according to ranking of the electricity, the battery control system of the invention can control the solar energy charging module to automatically charge one single battery. Alternatively, after a predetermined time or after one of the batteries has been completely charged, the battery control system of the invention can control the solar energy charging module to automatically charge the next battery.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.
Claims
1. A battery control system comprising:
- N batteries arranged in parallel, N being a positive integer larger than one;
- N control switches, each of the control switches being connected to one of the batteries respectively;
- a solar energy charging module connected to the control switches; and
- a processing module connected to the control switches and the solar energy charging module, the processing module selectively controlling the i-th control switch to form a close circuit between the corresponding i-th battery and the solar energy charging module and controlling the other N−1 control switches to form open circuits between the corresponding N−1 batteries and the solar energy charging module, i being a positive integer smaller than or equal to N.
2. The battery control system of claim 1, wherein the processing module comprises a voltage detecting unit connected to the control switches, when M batteries of the batteries are idle, the processing module controls the corresponding M control switches to form close circuits between the M batteries and the voltage detecting unit, M is a positive integer smaller than N.
3. The battery control system of claim 1, wherein a voltage of the i-th battery is lower than voltages of the other N−1 batteries.
4. The battery control system of claim 1, wherein when a voltage of the j-th battery is lower than a voltage of the i-th battery, the processing module controls the corresponding j-th control switch to form a close circuit between the j-th battery and the solar energy charging module and controls the i-th control switch to form an open circuit between the i-th battery and the solar energy charging module, j is a positive integer smaller than or equal to N, and j is not equal to i.
5. The battery control system of claim 1, wherein after the solar energy charging module charges the i-th battery for a predetermined time, the processing module controls the j-th control switch to form a close circuit between the corresponding j-th battery and the solar energy charging module and controls the i-th control switch to form an open circuit between the corresponding i-th battery and the solar energy charging module, j is a positive integer smaller than or equal to N, and j is not equal to i.
6. The battery control system of claim 1, wherein after the solar energy charging module completes charging the i-th battery, the processing module controls the j-th control switch to form a close circuit between the corresponding j-th battery and the solar energy charging module and controls the i-th control switch to form an open circuit between the corresponding i-th battery and the solar energy charging module, j is a positive integer smaller than or equal to N, and j is not equal to i.
7. The battery control system of claim 1, further comprising a load connected to the control switches and the processing module, wherein when a voltage of the k-th battery is higher than voltages of the other N−1 batteries, the processing module controls the corresponding k-th control switch to form a close circuit between the k-th battery and the load, k is a positive integer smaller than or equal to N, and k is not equal to i.
8. The battery control system of claim 1, wherein the solar energy charging module comprises a plurality of solar energy charging circuits.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 21, 2010
Publication Date: Dec 29, 2011
Inventors: Yaun-Ren Yang (Taipei), Ming Kao (Taipei), Hsin-Kai Lai (Taipei)
Application Number: 12/840,299
International Classification: H01M 10/46 (20060101);